Mail-catching apparatus.



nnrrnn sra rns ra'rnnr orrren WILLIAM T. OHARA, OF SPOKANE, WASHINGTON, ASSIGNOR TO SPOKANE MAIL EQUIPMENT COMPANY, OF SPOKANE, WASHINGTON.

MAIL-CATGHING- APPARATUS.

Liaarso.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 11, 1915.

Application filed July 21, 1913. Serial No. 780,172.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM T. OHARA, a citizen of the United States, residing at Spokane, in the county of Spokane and State of Washington, have invented new and useful Improvements in Mail-Catching Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

One object of my invention is to provide an apparatus which is adapted to transfer mail sacks to and from a moving train in such a way that there will be absolutely no danger of any articles contained therein being damaged from the shock of catching and delivering.

A final object resides in the particular arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings :-Figure 1 is a view partly in section showing the relation of parts in the interior of a car fitted with my apparatus, and looking toward the outside of the car. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 4L4 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. l is a detached sectional view of the rod and bracket. Fig. 5 is a detail view on an enlarged scale, of a portion of the apparatus shown in Fig. 3.

Throughout the separate views the same part is designated by the same reference character.

The posts 2 and l carry an apparatus intended to catch mail from the moving car and the apparatus on either post 2 or A is to be used depending upon its direction of movement. The apparatus on post 3 is intended to deliver mail to the catching apparatus carried by the car. Consequently, it will be understood that the apparatus carried by post 2 is identical with that carried by post 4 except that one is right while the other is left. v

Referring now more particularly to the apparatus connected to post 2, it will be seen that I have provided an uprightrod 6 which is pivoted in a socket v7 at its lower end. Near its upper end, the rod 6 is journaled in a bracket 8 which is fixed to the post 2. A substantially horizontal arm 9 is fixed to the upper end of the rod 6 and a brace 10 connects the intermediate portion of the rod 6 with an intermediate portion of the arm 9 with the purpose of supporting the latter. Beyond its point of connection with the brace 10, the arm 9 is forced to form a finger 11 and a thumb 12. The finger 11 is inclined forwardly from the arm 9 in a direction from which the car is coming, from which car the mail is to be received by the arm 9. It will be understood that the finger 11 and thumb 12 are in a substantially horizontal plane and it will be seen that they inclose a slot 13. For a clearer view of parts 11 and 12 reference is made to Figs. 3 and 5, it being understood that Figs. 3 and 5 show the apparatus on the car, A

but this car apparatus is provided with elements of the same form and function as members 11 and 12. It will be seen, moreover, that the members 11 and 12 diverge near the outer end of the slot 13 so that a wide mouth or entrance is provided for such slot. It will also be seen that a latch or look 14: is provided which is pivoted to the finger 11 at the point 15 and which is adapted to look into the groove 13 any element or apparatus or member which may have been caught by the finger 11, said last latch 14 being adapted to swing readily in one direction in order to allow such member to pass into the groove 13. For a clearer under-' standing of the formation and operation of the latch 14 reference is again made to Figs. 3 and 5 where a corresponding part is illustrated.

It will be seen that the rod 6 carries a coil spring 16 which is connected at one end to the bracket 8 and at the other end to the rod 6 and tends normally to swing the arm 9 out of the position shown and away from the post 2 over the platform. However, when the apparatus on post 2 is set to catch mail from the car, it is held in the position shown by means of a latch 17, said latch being pivoted to a bracket 18 carried by the post 2 and being adapted to swing up into the path of the rod 9. It will be understood that the end of the bracket 18 is notched in order to permit the latch 17 to swing upward into the position shown in Fig. 4, and that the-weight of the latch 17 normally tends to carry the same downwardly out of the path of the arm 9. hen, however, the arm has been put into the position shown in Fig. 4:, and the latch placed in front of it, a spring 19 is compressed and forces the arm against said latch. It will be seen that when'the finger 11 is struck by the chain such as 20 by which the mail bag is supported, the arm 9 will be pressed back a ainst the spring 19 whereupon the latch- 15 will drop down out of the path of the arm 9 and the spring 16 will'be free to swing the finger 11 in over the platform. It will be understood that as soon as the chain 20 strikes the finger 11, the cup 21, by which the chain 20 is supported is released by the apparatus on the mail car and thereupon the chain 20 travels along the inclined finger 11, presses aside the latch 14: and enters the groove 13 Where it is securely held. The latch 14 immediately resumes the position so that there is no opportunity for the chain to swing out of the groove upon the rebound.

Referring more particularly to the apparatus within the car, and to Figs. 1 and 2, 3 and 5, it will be seen that I have provided a pair of sockets 29-29 in the floor of the car and on each side of the door in the side of the car I provide two brackets 3030 which are provided with sockets similar to the ordinary carriage lamp sockets, and it will be understood that the apparatus in the interior of the car will be made in duplicate, one set right and one set left, to be used with one or the other sets of sockets 29 and brackets 30, depending upon the direction of travel of the car. It will also be seen that the apparatus in the car comprises a rod such as 6 and an arm 9 having identical functions with the correspondingly numbered parts in the platform apparatus. The upper partof the rod 6 is, however, journaled in a ring 31 which is provided with a lug 32 adapted to fit in the socket 30. A spring 16 is also provided, the function of which is similar to that of spring 16.

It will be seen that the apparatus of the car carries a bracket 33 carried by the jam of the door and said bracket carries a catch 17 and a spring 19 of identical structure and function to the parts 17 and 19 heretofore described. The end of the arm 9 is provided with a finger 11 and thumb 12 forming a groove 13 the function of which will be obvious from the previous description. The latch 14: is best illustrated in Fig. 4, and will be seen to be pivoted to the finger 11 at the point 15. A spring 84: is provided which normally throws the latch 14 into the position shown in Fig. 1, and it will be understood that a similar spring is provided for the latch 14. It will be seen, however, that the arm 9' is adapted to deliver, as well as receive, mail matter and, for this purpose it is provided with two prongs such as 35-35 forming the groove 86 in which a cup such as 21 may be supported in order to extend therefrom a mail bag or other apparatus to be caught by the finger 11 or 11 It will be understood that the arm 9 on the platform receiving apparatus is considerably lower than the end of the arm 22 so that the finger 11 may pass between the finger '11 and the arm 22with plenty of clearance to both receive and deliver. It will thus be seen that the entire shock of catching and delivering comes entirely upon the chain or other suspension means and that the contact with the sack cannot be damaged in any way. Consequently I anticipate that my apparatus described herein will be particularly valuable for use in connection with the parcel post system, as to facilitate the handling of bulky and perishable articles.

It will be understood that while the foregoing description sets forth the preferred form of my apparatus, I do not wish to be limited thereto, but contemplate all modifications thereof which are I mechanically equivalent to the forms shown and described herein.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is In a mail handling apparatus, a vertical post having brackets mounted therein, a vertical rod mounted in said brackets, a substantially horizontal arm mounted on said vertical rod, mail pouch holding jaws carried at the outer end of said arm, a coil spring disposed on said vertical rod and adapted to react on said rod so as to tend to rotate said rod and horizontal arm about their vertical axis, a bracket mounted on said post and having pivoted thereto an angular member adapted to engage the said horizontal arm and hold the same against the action of said coil spring, a spring interposed between said angular member and said last mentioned bracket whereby said arm is held firmly against the said angular member but is moved sufficiently upon a blow to allow the angular member to release the said arm.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

WILLIAM T. OI-IARA.

Witnesses: 1

HAROLD SoANTLEBURY, EDNA BROYLES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of'Patents,

' Washington, D. G. 

